Pirate Gathering Nov. 9-11 at Francis Field includes parade

The annual Pirate Gathering will be at Francis Field, 29 W. Castillo Drive. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. today; and gates open at 9 a.m. Nov. 10, with a parade from 11 a.m. to noon Nov. 10, followed by a Pirate Land Battle around 12:30 p.m. at Orange Street near the bayfront and the Huguenot Cemetery, and The Buccaneer Bash at 5 p.m.; and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 11. Admission is $2 per person. Pirates, live music, games and more will be featured. Go to www.pirategathering.com.

This weekend marks the 5th annual St. Augustine Pirate Gathering at Events Field/Francis Field and the Historical Quarter running Friday through Sunday, Nov. 9-11.

The event is organized by the Ancient City Privateers, along with other pirate groups including the Krewe of the Black Heart, to raise funds to help local school children attend the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP) at the St. Augustine Lighthouse.

“We have a lot of exciting things going on at this year’s Pirate Gathering,” says Faith Hirsch, the event’s coordinator.

“We have local re-enactors creating a ‘living history’ on the field – showing the public how they lived, slept and things they ate while coming to settle in Northeast Florida. We will have daily canon and black powder demonstrations, sword fighting and hand-to-hand combat demonstrations with Dr. John Lennox.”

Additional events include a Thieves Market for shopping, libations available at the Maiden’s Pub under the main tent and weekend-long live entertainment featuring The Brigands, CRAIC, Crabgrass and Scuttered the Bruce, For Love or Money and more local talent with The Bilgerats and magic shows with Fair Wynds Circus.

“We enjoy getting dressed in our pirate garb and seeing the excitement on the faces of the children as we walk down St. George Street, mingling with the tourists,” explains Hirsch. “We are a good group of volunteers that enjoy helping our community and our fellow pirates when in need. We have a beautiful city with great history and we love sharing that history with the tourists.”

PARADE INFORMATION: The parade starts at 11 a.m. Nov. 10 at Francis Field on W. Castillo Drive, then continues south along S. Castillo Drive/Avenida Menendez, west on Cathedral Place, north on Cordova Street, west on Orange Street, north on Riberia Street, returning to Francis Field. The City’s Department of Public Affairs reports that vehicular traffic may want to avoid these areas during this time.

The annual Pirate Gathering will be at Francis Field, 29 W. Castillo Drive. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. today; and gates open at 9 a.m. Nov. 10, with a parade from 11 a.m. to noon Nov. 10, followed by a Pirate Land Battle around 12:30 p.m. at Orange Street near the bayfront and the Huguenot Cemetery, and The Buccaneer Bash at 5 p.m.; and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 11. Admission is $2 per person. Pirates, live music, games and more will be featured. Go to www.pirategathering.com.

In Memoriam HMS Bounty

Known as The Bounty, the HMS Bounty was built in 1960 for MGM studios’ 1962 movie “Mutiny on the Bounty” with Marlon Brando. For years, the HMS Bounty sailed around the country offering educational dockside tours – making a stop in St. Augustine this past April. On October 29, during the throws of Superstorm Sandy, the 180-foot, three-mastered tall ship sunk approximately 90 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, N.C.

Explains Hirsch, “After hearing of the HMS Bounty tragedy last week, we received a call from Kathy Gilbert of the Pirates of the Treasure Coast, which handles the marketing and scheduling for the HMS Bounty. We encouraged them to come to the Pirate Gathering to raise money for the crew that survived and for the families of those that were lost. These representatives will be on the field all weekend collecting donations for the crew and for any possible fund that will help with recovery of the HMS Bounty herself.”

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Queen Elizabeth of England made her best sailors privateers. She gave them permission to plunder and loot in honor of the country of England. Sir John Hawkins, Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir Francis Drake, and Captain William Kidd were some of the sailors that became privateers. This was a mistake because they all discovered how easy it was to be a pirate and became one.